As regular readers know, I publish a weekly blog on things digital. This week, the headliners include a Blue-Man book, a Spaceman, a Shoot-em-up and some pretty nifty driving software making use of Google’s Street view images.

I am indebted to ISANet readers for some of the links below, attributed as appropriate. The ‘Mr Gove’ Mr Men story book comes via Eric L from Paul Bernal. “Mr Gove was extraordinarily arrogant.Painfully arrogant.He believed that he knew how everything should be done. He believed that everyone else in the world was stupid and ignorant.The problem was, Mr Gove himself was the one who was ignorant.He got most of his information from his own, misty, mem..”. Not unnaturally, this post has gone viral!

Preamble

It’s that time of year at Secondary level when Exams’ officers lose a life, and Teachers of exam subjects might regain one. At CC as with so many other institutions in the UK, our Sports Halls are lost to usual business so the candidates from age 14 to nearly 19 could strut their stuff for the exam boards. We stop examining circa 6 week’s time; it must be said, in the main, a monstrous regiment that actually bears no resemblance to the reality we need. Almost all our other year groups in the school get examined this week or next; a simpler exercise finished before the week is out, and in time to ensure we can fit in a full half-term of work before the fun and games of the end of term come in to bat – that’s providing the Summer weather has arrived in July!

Here’s a great little trial feature from Hyperlapse, who can stitch together the google street view images from point A to point B and drive you there and back (for ever). Here’s my regular rat-run journey between the senior boys school and girls school, 2 miles – http://goo.gl/KUnG2. Have a play before the company take it behind a pay wall.

This is a math game for children ages 4-8. It teaches the concepts of angles, relations between numbers and searching. Playing is easy: just type a number and press Enter to see if you hit the UFO. Try to hit it in as few shots as possible! Via IanN

From which side of the Equator did this Spiral cloud form?

This picture is one of many taken by Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, Commander of the International Space Station. You may have heard Commander Hatfield’s version of Space Oddity by David Bowie on the Radio 4 breakfast Today programme this morning – here’s the YouTube link, freshly published and awesome. http://goo.gl/ed9MI

A Gravity question – Which way does the water fall when you squeeze a towel in Space?

Courtesy of Cmdr Hadfield, we have an awesome demo & know the answer – check here for proof

One of the most iconic elements of the TTCT is the Incomplete Figure test, a drawing challenge that’s like a game of exquisite corpse. Taking this image, what can you turn it into? Check your answer here – http://goo.gl/QMxz9

Some novel Maths sums

Can you find four pairs of numbers that total 2?

Can you find another four that total 4?

What are the largest and smallest totals you can find by adding 2 numbers?

What is the nearest total to 3 that you can make using 2 numbers?

Claire Lotriet is a graphic designer turned teacher, who currently teaches Year 5/6 in a south London primary school – you can read her blog about this problem-based approach here.

Time for you to acquire a video walkie talkie…

Glide is a cloud based App you can download to Android or iPhone that allows you to broadcast to the cloud, and messages can be watched there and then, or looked up later. http://www.glide.me/’ I reckon this could really take off in schools, because being cloud shared, short clips can instantly be grouped into conversations and the like.

And finally…

The comedian Rob Barratt has written a short biblical parody on the subject of data-driven education, entitled “A lesson from the Book of Dataronomy”. Live at Upton Folk Festival, Worcestershire. 6th May 2013 http://goo.gl/N51Ud . Not only does Sir Michael Wilshaw get parodied but so does Gohova.

Have a great week, and please pass the ISANet newsletter on.

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About jameswilding

Academic Principal
Claires Court Schools
Long term member & advocate of the Independent Schools Association